Grow Up!
by Puppet Writer
Summary: Mikan Sakura has always been a happy and headstrong girl, always putting others before herself. But, what happens when her friends tell her to grow up and everything starts to go downhill in her life? Can Natsume Hyuuga, who supposedly hates her, help?


Disclaimer: Yeah, if I owned Gakuen Alice, I would so not be writing fan fictions about it.

Summary: Mikan Sakura has always been a bit eccentric and as she starts middle school, she's no different. She is kind, caring, loud, energetic, and definitely rash. And being that way, she can get herself into a lot of trouble. Natsume Hyuuga is as cold as always, if not more so, since Hotaru Imai, Mikan's best friend left. Now that Hotaru is gone, Mikan is left to make her own future without her best friend there. And as she and her class mates start middle school, things start to go very wrong for Mikan and everyone keeps telling her that she should just grow up.

Chapter One: The First Day

* * *

**Narrator's POV**

Mikan Sakura sat up in her bed, her expression determined but, her eyes gave it all away. She was sad. She turned off the alarm that had awoken her quickly and climbed out of bed. She examined her room closely since she had just received it the night before. She was no longer a single star student but, a two star. The room still seemed a bit foreign to her and was quite a bit bigger than her past two rooms. There was a small kitchenette area even. She made her way to the bathroom connected to her room slowly and slipped inside.

The bathroom was all white and spotless as she was very careful to keep it clean, she showered quickly and then wrapped a towel around her body and another around her hair. After closing the bathroom door behind her, she glanced at the lock on her bedside table, and panic consumed her.

She was late! And on her first day of middle school too!

She snatched her uniform from her closet and quickly slipped on the uniform's black sailor top, it had a white collar with red lines detailing it. She tied the red and white striped tie as fast as she could without choking herself before stepping into the red plaid skirt that went to her mid thighs.

She pulled on her knee high white with the school symbol at the top as she ran to the mirror to see how she looked before she left for school. During the summer after graduating from the middle school, she had grown some.

She was now a whopping 5'2" which was a great accomplishment for her and her eyebrows knitted together as she blushed in embarrassment at one of the other changes she had undergone. She had breasts. They were small but, they were definitely there.

Her waist was still small and her legs were a bit longer as she had grown taller but, still tone and smooth. Her hair was a few inches longer, still a pretty honey brown and her eyes were still wide and innocent; hazel. She shook her head to bring her thoughts off of what her classmates would say when they saw her. She worried the most about what a certain raven haired boy would say…or do. She shook her head again as she scolded herself mentally.

She took a brush to her wet hair and put it up in pigtails, not having the time to dry it, she rushed to her door, slipped on her shoes, and she was off. She raced down corridor after corridor and down a flight of stairs. She ran out the front door of the dormitories and sprinted across the lawn towards the path that would lead her to the middle school building.

She made it there in about five minutes and mentally kicked herself when she heard the bell ring just as she reached the double doors of the snowy white building. She bit her bottom lip in nervousness and wrenched the doors open. She ran.

As she was running, she pulled the cute book bag from her back; it was made to look like a sheep. She kept running even as she searched through the bag looking for her class schedule. She didn't look up from her bag until it was too late. She crashed into someone and fell to the floor.

A someone who had obviously had a growth spurt during the summer break. A raven haired someone. A someone with light brown eyes that held a reddish tint. A someone whom she hadn't seen since Hotaru had left; a someone whom she did not particularly want to see.

"N-Natsume-kun…!"

* * *

**Natsume's POV**

I was about to walk away from the idiot who had bumped right into me and fallen to the floor but, their voice stopped me. It was _her_ voice. I lowered the role playing comic from my face and turned slowly to look at her.

She lay there, on the floor, her skirt had risen up and I could see the panties she wore. Little multi colored hearts. I let my eyes roam her body as they traveled up to meet her stunned and flustered gaze. She obviously hadn't expected to see me so soon. I had been completely prepared for the possibility of seeing her, just not seeing something else. Her body seemed a bit more _mature_ than the last time I'd seen her.

"You're late, hearts."

I watched in slight amusement as her eyes widened and panic took over her features, her forehead wrinkled cutely and she was about to get up when something else I said hit her. Her eyes widened further.

"NATSUME!!! YOU PERVERT!!!"

Ah…it's been a while since I heard that.

"Baka, you're late."

She puffed her cheeks out and turned her face away from me, her wet hair hiding her face from view but, I could see her ear turning red. She was blushing but, why?

"What's the matter with you, hearts? And why is your hair wet?"

She sighed and turned her head slowly, reluctantly, so that our eyes met again. Her blush didn't go away.

"I was late and I didn't have to dry my hair…and I don't know where my class is."

I shook my head and uttered 'baka' under my breath before walking away. She got to her feet quickly and hurried after me, obviously not wanting to be left behind.

"Ne, Natsume-kun, you don't have to leave me behind."

I heaved an annoyed sigh and walked on as I began to tune her out. There was a reason I had avoided her so well all summer and it wasn't just for her own safety. She annoyed me. But, not in the usual way. She annoyed me because everything she did seemed somehow cute to me. I glared at the tall wooden door as I approached it; she was still right behind me.

I froze when she stepped closer to me and grabbed her arm, clinging to me. I could feel something soft and warm pressing against my shoulder.

"Natsume-kun…I'm nervous…"

Her voice seemed so fragile and scared and she didn't pull away. I barely contained my blush as I glared at her sideways.

"I don't care."

And the tips of her pigtails lit on fire. She pulled away from me quickly as she shrieked and patted the fire away. A pout formed on her lips as she gave me a hurt look.

"Natsume-kun, you could have hurt me!"

I ignored her and entered the classroom, a scowl evident on my face as I passed the teacher and made my way to the back of the classroom. I sat down next to the bland haired boy who happened to be my best friend. His gray eyes turned from passive to bright as he saw Mikan enter the classroom and I began to read my comic again, my scowl intensified. There was only one thing that he and I ever fought over. And that was Mikan.

* * *

**Mikan's POV**

I watched as Natsume left to his seat and I sighed to myself a little as I realized that he still didn't like me. In fact, he barely tolerated me. I took a deep breath and looked up into the smiling face of a blond haired man. His hair went to his shoulders and like Natsume he wore jewelry on his ear. Only, this man had a necklace as well. His eyes were a bright blue and I couldn't help but gasp as realization hit me.

"Narumi-sensei!"

He must have recognized the shock on my face because he ruffled my wet hair a little and then gave me another smile.

"I'm going to be your teacher again this year, I move up with my classes."

I nodded my head as a smile broke out over my features and I turned to the rest of the class and gave a slight bow.

"Ohayou minna-san!" I tilted my head to the side, a huge grin on my face before making my way to the table just in front of Natsume and his best friend, Nogi Ruka.

I turned to look at them, my smile never leaving my face.

"Ohayou Ruka-pyon! Natsume-kun!"

Ruka gave me a warm smile which I, of course, returned. Natsume simply ignored me and gave I gave another small sigh before turning away to face the front of the room.

The school day went my pretty quickly and there was a group of students her were going to Central Town to celebrate the first day back. I was among that group and surprisingly, so were Ruka-pyon and Natsume. I smiled to myself as I felt that I had partly made Natsume more of an open person but, I was not vain enough to make myself believe that I was more than a tenth of the reason.Actually, now that I think about it…I'm probably none of the reason.

I sighed to myself as I carefully made my way onto the bus that would take everyone to Central Town; I took the lone seat in the back of the bus that only had room for one person. I didn't feel like myself today and it was slightly unnerving. I pulled my legs up in the seat with and lay my head against my knees.

I sat like that the whole way to Central Town. I didn't move even once, I just let myself get lost in the world of my worries. My world was now the world I had always feared. The one without Hotaru.

I only left my thoughts when someone yanked on one of my pigtails; I looked up, startled to see Natsume-kun with Youichi in his arms. Youichi was the one who hand my hair wrapped around his fingers as he yanked again. I whimpered a little and gave the adorable gray haired boy a reproachful look.

He spoke. "Ugly."

I glared into the cold gray eyes of the little boy before childishly sticking my tongue out at him. Who cares if it makes me seem like I'm two?

"Baka, you're the only one left on the bus."

It was Natsume who spoke this time and then he walked away from me like he always does.

* * *

**Narrator's POV**

Mikan followed Natsume off the bus and then rushed off towards the howalon stand. She knew that most of her classmates would be there and she still loved the fluffy wonderful taste of howalon. It made her mouth water just thinking about the soft, fluffy, creamy candy.

When she got to the stand, Nonoko and Anna were a few places ahead of her and quickly ushered her towards them she smiled to herself as she skipped forward and took a place in line next to them.

"We were wondering if you ever got off of the bus or not. You seemed so deep in your thoughts; we didn't want to disturb you." Anna gave her a tender look, an all knowing look. For, she did know what was making Mikan act so strange. Well, she knew part of it.

Mikan nodded her head and smiled at the two, grateful for their friendship.

"It's nothing some howalon won't fix!" She let out a small giggle as the three of them stepped up to the counter and placed their orders.

Three small boxes of howalon, ten rabbits each.

It didn't take long for them to start munching away on their candy and Mikan started to feel more like herself in no time. She was sad that Hotaru was gone but, she had so many new and wonderful friends here at Alice Academy. How could she not be happy about it?

She smiled to herself and skipped forward ahead of Nonoko and Anna, she did a small twirl and faced them as she continued to skip, only backwards.

That's when several things happened at once.

Mikan saw the girl named Shouda Sumire whom she had recently become friend with during the previous year. She had nicknamed her Permy. "PERMY!!!" She waved to her quite energetically as she continued to skip backwards.

And someone behind her suddenly shouted, "BAKA! LOOK WHERE YOU'RE GOING!"

She heard similar shouts all around her and as she flailed about to see exactly what disaster she was heading into, she tripped over her own foot and went sprawling towards Natsume who was just behind her. There was a ball of flames in each of his hands and one in the air. He had been giving a small show for some little kids.

Mikan shut her eyes tight as she waited for the crash that she knew would come. And it came.

She fell right into Natsume and he fell into the stand that was just behind them. In her panic, Mikan didn't think to nullify Natsume's alice and she knew that it was too late when she smelled the smoke.

The cart that Natsume had fallen into was a blazing inferno by the time Mikan got to her knees, her eyes widened in panic as she ran towards Natsume worried that he would be hurt. The smoke was getting to her as the fire spread from the cart to the store behind it. She fell to her knees just in reach of the flames.

She stared transfixed as the flames slowly licked her clothes and skin not quite burning her; yet. But, before her clothes could catch fire and she could become a part of the blazing inferno that she had just helped create, a force knocked the wind out of her as it showed her away from the flames.

She stared up at Natsume in front of her with immense relief. There wasn't a single burn mark on him. She was examining him as closely as she could to make sure that that was the case when she realized finally that people were screaming her name and Natsume was shouting something to her. She couldn't quite make out what it was and when she opened her mouth to ask, she only inhaled another lungful of smoke and everything went black.

She woke in a room that was all white. She wasn't in her bed either. She was about to look around the room when a voice interrupted her thoughts.

"You're in the infirmary."

It was Natsume.

And behind him was Ruka-pyon, and Sumire with her navy blue hair that was slightly curly, her deep brown eyes seemed worried, troubled. Next to her were Nonoko and Anna. Their faces held the same expression as Permy's. Only Natsume's and Ruka's facial expressions were any different.

Ruka's was relieved while Natsume's was a cross between annoyed and indifference.

"How long have I been asleep?"

Mikan's question was followed by silence until Anna decided to answer her.

"About four hours…"

There was another silence.

"What's the matter everyone? You're acting so grave…"

Permy decided to speak up this time.

"What's the matter? You want to know what's the matter? Mikan-chan, because of you, more than half of Central Town was burned down! There are people in the hospital from first, second, and third degree burn! You're lucky you got away with smoke inhalation! If it hadn't been for Natsume-kun…! You should have been watching where you're going! We're people with alice, we have to be more careful than that! You have to be more careful! You shouldn't be so carefree! Mikan, it's all your fault! Grow up!"

Mikan froze on the spot, she looked away quickly, her eyes filled with tears that she didn't want to spill. She didn't want to cry anymore. She didn't want to be a cry baby. Why was Sumire blaming this all on her?

Ruka stepped toward and placed a hand of comfort on her shoulder, his eyes downcast.

Sumire continued.

"People could have died, Mikan-chan…you could have died! Would Imai-san have wanted you to grow up and stop causing so many problems?! NOT EVERYTHING IN LIFE IS A BREEZE! START THINKING OF THE CONSEQUENCES! GROW UP!"

Anna and Nonoko exchanged glances before quickly escorting Sumire from the room as they whispered soft, calming words in her ears.

Mikan turned her face to look up at Ruka; she nearly let her tears escape her. Ruka was fighting back tears of his own.

"Don't listen to her Mikan-chan…it's not your fault…you didn't know you would bump into Natsume…"

He sounded more as if he was trying to convince himself than her.

Mikan pulled away from him letting his hand drop from her shoulder. She looked from Natsume and to Ruka and back and forth before finally looking down at her hands as she folded them in her lap.

She finally asked, in a quite voice.

"Do you two agree with Permy-chan?"

Natsume stood up, a glare now evident on his face.

"You could have hurt a lot of people. Why didn't you nullify my alice? Baka…" He left the room, letting his words linger in the air.

Mikan glanced up at Ruka again, barely containing the tears that wished to fall now.

"Ruka-pyon….what about you?"

It took him quite awhile before her finally gave her an answer. He looked more likely to cry than she did when he said it though.

"Maybe you should grow up a bit…learn to be a bit more careful, ne?"

Mikan buried her face in her pillow as the last word left his lips, she didn't hear him leave the room through her sobs.

They all wanted her to grow up…so maybe she should?

* * *

**A/N:** Okay, I have just recently watched the anime series of Gakuen Alice and the idea for this story just popped into my head. It is my first ever Gakuen Alice story and it will be quite sad in the beginning but, it'll get happier eventually, I promise! And don't worry, I'm for Mikan and Natsume all the way! I will only ever have them get together in any of the stories I write. Whenever Hotaru is in my stories, she'll end up with Ruka-pyon. But, as of right now, I am not sure whether Hotaru will be in this story or not. And I am trying to stay as true to their characters as possible. I hope I'm doing a good job of it. And I hope you all like my story! PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!! ENJOY!!! 


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